Gluten Free Fantasy

Monday, December 10, 2012

Call, (or boycott) Prop 37 Killers

A recent post by the Organic Consumers Association calls for the boycott of a long, surprising list of products whose parent companies donated millions of dollars to out swagger the prop 37 bill. This list includes tons of top name food brands including PepsiCo and Kraft.

Now this type of maneuvering may hit them where it hurts in the extra long run, but reaching out may be a better idea. As a consumer of Cascadian Farms Cereals (oddly enough the only one on the list I buy), I did some research and found the contact information for their parent company, General Mills. Calling them, writing letters and calling again, not only lets them know how you, as their customer, feel about their corporate influence, it also ties up resources that are usually fielding calls from stockholders and suppliers.

I complied a list of contact information on the parent companies donating to influence the downfall of Prop 37 so you can get in on the job of educating our food manufacturers:

PepsiCo:

1-800-433-2652

Consumer Relations
1 Pepsi Way
Somers, NY 10589

M-F 9:00a.m. - 5:00p.m. EST

Website: https://cu.pepsico.com/pepsi

Kraft or (Mondelez International?):

The general telephone number is 847-646-2000.

Kraft Foods Group, Inc.,
Three Lakes Drive,
Northfield, IL 60093

Mondelēz International
Three Parkway
North Deerfield, IL 60015

Website: http://kraftfoods.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/26

Oddly, both of these companies have the same style of corporate website and I was directed to the Mondelēz International site automatically when searching Kraft.

In 2008 or 2009 I contacted these folks and asked where they sourced their Wesson brand oil. The lady on the phone became very nervous and said, "That information is privileged." Then she hung up on me. I was just going to ask if their canola was GMO. I don't think they wanted me to know.

Kellogs:

Call Consumer Affairs
1-800-962-1413

Kellogg's Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box CAMB
Battle Creek, MI 49016

Website: http://www.kelloggs.com/en_US/contact-us.html

Smuckers:

The J.M. Smucker Co.
1 Strawberry Lane
Orrville, Ohio 44667-0280

1-888-550-9555
(9-7 EST Monday-Friday)
Fax: 1-330-684-6410

Website: https://www.smuckers.com/contact/default.aspx

Unilever:

1-800-298-5018 Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-6:00 PM Eastern Time.

Unilever
800 Sylvan Avenue
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632

Website: http://www.unilever.us/resource/contact/default.aspx

Dean Foods:

Dean Foods
2711 N. Haskell Ave.,
Suite 3400
Dallas, TX 75204

214-303-3400

Website: http://www.deanfoods.com/media/56157/df_fact_sheet_2012.pdf

This "website" is actually a media flier.

If you'd still like to boycott the products, this is Organic Consumers Association's list:

As a last note, please use this information with prudence. Do not go and call them and scream in their ear or picket their headquarters in your underwear. Respect begets respect, and you gotta give it to get it.